As the last person to leave he held onto the rope and ‘in a great swing that lifted him off the deck above the boiling cauldron that separated the boat from safety, he landed amongst his cheering men’.
The master swung the boom to allow the crew to clamber to shore whilst he hung on to the main sheet.
The others escaped in true Hollywood style when the boat hit Hawkings Point. Remarkably of the 6 crew, only one was lost (Frank Rowley, who was killed by a wave smashing him onto the mast). The wind was blowing with hurricane force and the vessel was dragged until it was driven ashore at Hawking Point, Magnetic Island. At 8:30am on the 26th of January the port cable parted and the ‘Lavina’ dragged. The weather proved too strong and she tried to anchor in the lee of Cape Cleveland on 24 th of January with both anchors deployed. The 118 ton two masted schooner with an ‘interesting’ history, was only under ballast as she tried to escape the approaching cyclone on the 23 rd of January 1896 under Captain Augustus Paesch. The view is worth it, and the rocky point is home to another victim of Cyclone Sigma, Nothing visible is left of the the Lavinia. Heading from Nelly Bay towards Picnic Bay, stop at the Rocky Bay lookout just past XBase Backpackers. Things are a little different these days! Presto and Nelly Bay Jetty 1900’s State Library of Queensland Lavinia (1896) – Not visible Back then you only needed a ship and some dynamite to create a breakwater. A particularly vicious cyclone in 1896, Cyclone Sigma, smashed her into the Townsville Breakwater where she sank.Īn island local, Mr Bright, of Bright Point, bought the wreck and towed it over to the island to scuttle her as a breakwater, the first of many to meet the same fate. She traded successfully between Hong Kong, New Zealand, India and Australia before ending her days in Townsville as a Coal Hulk. Originally a well constructed iron barque of 360 tons, she was launched in Amsterdam as ‘ Emergens’ before being renamed Presto. Presto and Nelly Bay Jetty 1900’s State Library of Queensland You can access the bow by walking along the Presto Breakwater to the end. The remains of the wreck were removed during the construction of the new harbour. The wreck lay very close to the modern-day harbour entrance. This is the bow section of a boat that protected the jetty that once stood on the eastern side of Nelly Bay. What can you expect to find?Īs you arrive by ferry and pass through the breakwater walls, you may spy a pyramid of concrete on your left.
#DOWN IN BERMUDA SHIPWRECK ISLAND TRIANGLES FREE#
The Magnetic Island History and Craft centre is free to visit and is well worth spending some time in when you are on the island. Coupled with large amounts of shipping into Townsville and cyclones over the years.Ī big thank you to the volunteers and staff at the Magnetic Island History and Craft Centre and the Maritime Museum of Townsville who supplied much of the following information. There are no strange forces at work, many of the wrecks were scuttled on purpose to provide breakwaters in various bays. You will find various story boards around the island or via Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority Information sheet. If you care to seek them out some are still visible at low tides, some require snorkel or scuba gear and others are lost, and exist in name only. We could hold claim to being the Bermuda triangle of Australia. Scattered around our island are the remains of at least 20 known shipwrecks. Is Magnetic Island the Bermuda Triangle of Australia?
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